The invention relates to an escalator with a multitude of mobile stairs, which are connected to each other in such a way that they form an endless chain and which rotate alongside of a guide, as well as a drive for moving the stairs.
Known escalators of the type named above are straight-lined. The stairs are connected to each other at both side-ends by joints and pass at their ends across driving chain wheels. The empty escalator part is essentially guided parallel to the staircase area. Straight-lined escalators have only little flexibility with regard to their installation and have a relatively large space requirement.
Furthermore bend escalators are known, which are guided around curves with relatively large diameters, whereby the angle to be covered amounts to a maximum of 180.degree.(DE-PS 34 41 845). Bend escalators are constructed similar to straight-lined escalators. The stairs are connected to each other at both sides by joints, whereby the length of the joint parts are adjusted to the bendline. The empty part of the escalator is guided back below the bend. Although new kinds of staircase guide-ways can be realized with such bend escalators, they also have a relatively large space requirement.